


Plenty of Time

by Tantriception



Category: The Old Guard (Comics), The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Andy and Booker are just mentioned, Cats, Cooking, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Oneshot, Teaching, University, Wholesome, just some new boot goofin fun!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:15:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26461783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tantriception/pseuds/Tantriception
Summary: Temporarily residing in Melbourne, Australia, a majority of the gang decide to join the local university.Nile has a moment of introspection about her newfound immortality and family, meanwhile a pleasant yet unexpected suprise interrupts herself and Nicky preparing dinner.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 10
Kudos: 143





	Plenty of Time

“I don’t understand why you’ll never consider it,” Nile leant her back against the doorway, taking in the smells of Nicky’s cooking.

“I didn’t say I would _never_ consider it,” Nicky countered, “Just that I don’t think it would suit me.”

“Teaching would _plenty_ suit you, you might not be as charismatically-upfront as Joe or as ruthless as Andy—but it would suit you,” Nile couldn’t help herself from huffing gently, folding her arms crossed to accentuate her point.

She would never behave like this, though her new family’s open dynamic allowed her the freedom to sometimes act indignant. It was freeing in a way, to let her guard down and play around with ‘childish’ mannerisms. She had eternity to mature more than she already had, after all.

“Joe _is_ very charming,” Nicky smiled, stirring the contents of the pot with a wooden spoon.  
  
“That wasn’t the point and you know it!”

Nicky laughed.

“There are many things in this world I am still learning, forever learning,” Nicky said, “I have been a teacher for many things. I teach you cooking and marksmanship; I’ve taught you the foundations of my mother tongue.”

He continued to stir the espagnole sauce. It was basic, though their family had not partaken in any French dishes as of late. The reason as to why brought a small frown to Nicky but he continued otherwise.

They were currently situated within a safehouse in Melbourne, Australia. After a year of continuous missions Andy in her newfound mortality took it upon herself to declare the team travel across some southwestern pacific countries. It had been a long while since any of them had ventured out that way, and the change of scenery was direly needed.

Nile herself had never travelled to southwestern countries. They had first travelled to Matamata, New Zealand, taking in the lush greenery of mountain tops and culture of the Māori people. Nile had even managed to drag Joe and Nicky along to one of the movie set tours for Hobbiton, relishing in seeing the movie iconography in real person.

“These are based on The Lord of the Rings—you’ve heard of that, right?” Nile had asked.

“Yes, yes we know of Tolkien,” Joe laughed. “We’re not yet complete grandpas.”

After New Zealand they headed to Hobart, Tasmania. An island off the mainland of Australia, Hobart was comparable to a miniature New Zealand in terms of scenery. The air felt crisper and clean whilst the heat felt heartily pounding. Tasmania didn’t carry the same reputation as mainland Australia had of having harsh summer weather, with rainfall picking and choosing its favourite hours of the day.

Nile enjoyed both New Zealand and Tasmania. There was a peace to how small both places were in comparison to the larger countries and cities they had ventured to. The landmass was large, but the populations were smaller; the wildlife endlessly fascinating.

Nile and Nicky were bickering in their small safehouse-flat resided in Dandenong, a one-hour bus or tram ride away from Monash University. It felt unanimous that they would stay in the residence of Melbourne for a few years’ time, not too long but enough to finish a degree if they were good with their time management.

Nile had chosen to obtain a Diploma of Liberal Arts, with a major in history and minor in English literature. Nile had taken it upon herself to try her best to study history outside of her family’s knowledge to it. She wanted to learn more about her family, rather than taught every specific detail of history by them.

Nile wanted the ability for Andy to reference events without needing huge context, though that may be hard since a history degree covers a lot—but not six thousand years’ worth.

Joe utilised Copley’s pulls to obtain himself a professor’s position at Monash, taking the easier of routes to teach in the fine arts. He blended in perfectly, flowing in between the staff members with an ease akin to river water.

Andy chose to stay out of their university bubble, opting to instead lend her aid to the harsher crime cases of Melbourne city. Though a nice place, Melbourne was not immune to the downfalls of humanity, and Andy wanted to use her new mortality to continue the plight of doing good where it need be.

Which left Nicky, who despite having what is apparently several _PhD’s_ still felt it necessary to try out a degree in communications and media studies.

“Exactly, you have taught me plenty. Imagine what you could do with an entire class! I don’t think media studies is right for you,” Nile opened the fridge and scanned the contents before finding an orange juice carton.

It wasn’t the fancy iced tea Joe could make, but it would do.

“Afraid media studies will make me, what’s the word, ‘ _too hip’?_ ” Nicky joked, something which Nile found to be a beautiful rarity amongst their family.

“The fact you had to ask that—”

“Besides,” Nicky moved, giving Nile a cup to pour in without a second thought, “I can always help Joe or even yourself when needed, a teacher’s assistant if you will.”  
  
“Most people aren’t married to and banging their teacher’s assistants,” Nile muttered.

“Touché, touché,” Nicky smiled again, taking the sauce off the heat while Nile poured herself orange juice.

A glance at the clock showed it was nearing five-thirty. Joe would be home soon from his evening class, and Andy said she would be out until midnight. Or whenever Andy seemed fit to come back home.

“We don’t have much longer until Joe arrives, perhaps you could help me with—” Nicky interrupted himself, stopping suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” Nile asked hesitantly, already placing her glass down in preparation to fight.

“Heard something,”  
  
“What kind of ‘something’?”  
  
_Meow_.

“ _That_ , kind of something.”

At the sound of continuous ‘meows’, Nicky removed himself from the kitchen, moving along the expanse of their flat with Nile on his trail. It didn’t take long between pausing to gage the noises and moving around for Nicky to find the source of the noises.

“Oh,” Nile said, dumbfounded.

Inside Joe and Nicky’s bedroom amongst closet was a small black and white adult cat. The cat was curled up on the floor amongst fallen button-ups, looking up at Nile and Nicky. It became evident by the small crack in the window above the closet that the cat must have snuck in during the day, as Joe and Nicky used the closet that morning.

The cat meowed again and began heaving in a way that Nile had never seen before. She worried the cat was sick, she didn’t know much about veterinary care, and wasn’t sure where the nearest vet even was.

“I might be teaching you something again,” Nicky said, crouching down and brushing the soft fur on the cat’s head after it finished heaving. “She’s pregnant,”

“What?” That shocked Nile out of her thoughts, looking down at the back of Nicky’s head.

“And in labour,” Nicky said, looking back up at her.

-

The birth of the kittens had gone swiftly, as swiftly as things could go when suddenly given the task of aiding a cat through pregnancy.

Nicky had guided Nile with ease, letting her know that it was okay, and telling her that it was a good sign that the mother immediately was attentive to the kittens and that they had broken from their sac.

Four kittens in total. Small little replicas of their mother with black and white smudges scattering their bodies.

Nicky affectionately called the mother Mufaja'a, the Arabic word for ‘surprise’ as he gently patted along her back; encouraging her as she went along.

Nicky had instructed her to text Joe for supplies before he arrived home—some towels, training pads, cat food, cat milk formula in case something when awry.

“I am home!” Joe announced, his voice carrying as he stepped into his and Nicky’s bedroom, “I brought supplies, I’m guessing we have ourselves a visitor?”

Nile mentally slapped herself for not thinking to tell Joe what was happening. She just sent a list of supplies with many exclamation points to address the urgency.

“Yes, little Mufaja'a here,” Nicky gestured, “Has decided we are of good enough character to have her birth in our closet.”

“Of course she would! Humanity is not worthy of your kindness hayati, surely a cat could notice this too.”

Nicky rolled his eyes fondly, gesturing for Joe to come closer to himself and Nile who were crouched by Mufaja’a.

“Hello, luce del sole,” Nicky greeted, smiling as Joe kissed the top of his head.

“She’s lovely, a fitting name to choose il mio amore,” Joe murmured, enamoured by the sight of his eternal soulmate and kittens.

“I am grateful but sometimes I regret learning Italian,” Nile joked softly, making her presence known.

She too had been enamoured by the past hour’s events, so much so she barely spoke. This small act reminded her of the tangibility of life and death. She had not intended to begin an existential analysis of herself, but she found that the act of aiding a pregnancy reminded her once again of the expanse to life and how much she still has to experience of it. Whether that be a burden or gift, she will try to utilise it.

“Ah but sorellina you love us so,” Joe kissed the top of her head.

The kiss brought a warmth to Nile’s chest which twinged with a nostalgic pain. Through the slurry of sadness, the warmth felt intensified.

It was true, she did love them. Perhaps more than her mind could comprehend, as pre-emptively the passage of time will soon become all-encompassing. The years and months will blend into a concoction of time. Which made these moments all the more important to capture, as they all knew the impending nature of time meant soon Andy would be out of the picture.

Andy, born with a warrior’s soul who enticed such a passion and fury under currented with a deep boned exhaustion only those who have lived centuries can carry.

Those who have lived centuries, or those with enough anguish to want to end it.

Nile still had not made peace with her thoughts on Booker. A brother soon to be forged, she felt devasted for him and his pain though knew in the span of things she had little say in how his punishment was dealt.

Nicky once told her in private that the ‘one hundred year’ sentence would never truly follow-through. Joe’s eyes swelled deep with regret and a confused anger, while Andy was now too aging to endure it. Nicky had a mixture of both of their feelings, being wearily tired at the passage of time without his brother though still hurt in a deeply personal manner.

Nile knew that they would soon need to decide on what to do for dinner—as Nicky’s preparations had been left to go cold. Nile knew that soon they would leave the kittens be, checking in on them occasionally after fixing up their new encloser. She knew they’d later tell Andy of their escapades, most likely followed by a trip to the local vet and nearest cat clinic.

Nile knew that somewhere down the line they’ll get in contact with Booker again. They’ll do a mission under Copley’s guide again. They’ll trust each other again.

But for now, Nile will sit comfortably as Joe softly talks about the students at his evening class, as Nicky gets vocally jabbed about doing media studies at a thousand years old. Joe will deliver compliments on Nile at continuing to obtain her first diploma. Nile will tell Joe she thinks Nicky would be a good professor and roll her eyes as Joe sparks acclaim at Nicky’s talents.

For now, is good. They have plenty of time.

**Author's Note:**

> my first story! i love this whole lil gang, i didnt expect to spontaneously write nearly 2000 words on them  
> did you like the very specific dive-in on NZ and AUS? haha, im sure there are plenty of little errors, but hopefully you enjoy it!  
> please leave a comment, id love to read them :)  
> have a great day ya lovely chickens x


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